Joey Smallwood

Joey Smallwood (24 December 1900-17 December 1991) was Premier of Newfoundland from 1 April 1949 to 18 January 1972, preceding Frank Moores. He was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Biography
Joey Smallwood was born in Gambo, Newfoundland in 1900, and he became a journalist and radio broadcaster, as well as running a piggery at the air base in Gander during World War II. In 1946, he was elected to a convention called to advise the British government on the future status of the colony. His tireless advocacy of confederation with Canada paid off when a second referendum on 22 July 1948 closely approved incorporation with Canada. Subsequently remembered as "the last father of the confederation", he became Premier of the interin government of Newfoundland on 1 Apirl 1949, and was made leader of the provincial Liberal Party. Despite some idiosyncratic economic policies, which included an abortive attempt at industrialization, he brought greater prosperity to the region as a result of successfully lobbying for generous federal spending. Faced with an increasingly critical public, he lost the leadership in 1972 and retired in 1977.